Brake gear support



Aug. 30, 1949., E. G. BUssE BRAKE GEAR SUPPORT Filed Nov. 1o, i945 INVENTOR EDWIN G. Busse 'BY 0.47 M

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1949 BRAKE GEAR SUPPORT Edwin G. Busse, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 10, 1945, Serial No. .627,845

claims. l

The invention relates to the safeguarding and supporting oi railway truck brake gear and is particularly adapted for association with the spring plank, or like main truck part, to form a safety guard for the bottom connection rod eX- tending between the brake beams at opposite ends of the truck.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which is economical to manufacture and easy to apply to and remove from the spring plank.

Another object is to avoid punching, drilling, or notching of the spring plank to provide for the application of the support. Such machining of the spring plank is objectionable because it may weaken the spring plank to the extent that vibrations or undue stress will cause the spring plank to fail eventually.

These and other detailed objects as will appear from the following description are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is avertical section taken longitudinally through a restricted portion of a four-wheel truck and showing the spring plank, one of the brake levers and beams, and the adjacent portion of the bottom connection rod connecting the brake lever shown to the brake lever of the other brake beam (not shown).

Figure 2 is a top view of the spring plank and the support applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same structure looking towards the right-hand side of the ligure.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same structure looking towards the left-hand side of the figure.

The truck spring plank I is shown as a channel-shaped plate with its flanges 2 extending upwardly. The spring plank is positioned intermediate the brake beams, one of which is indicated by the channel compression member 3 and the strut 4 forming parts of a standard truss type beam, each end of which mounts a brake head 5 having a shoe Ii for application to the wheel 1. A brake lever extends through strut 4 and is pinned thereto at 9, and the lower end of lever 8 is connected to the corresponding lever at the other end of the truck by a bottom connection I0, preferably consisting of a round rod with jaws II adapted to receive the lower end of lever 8 between them to which it is pivoted by a pin I2.

Normally, bottom connection I0 is supported by lever 8 which is carried by the brake beam through the usual brake hangers, but in the event of failure of the brake hangers, or of the pins 9 or I 2, it is desired to safeguard the bottom connection from falling to the track which would tend to seriously damage the brake gear and possibly derail the truck.

To prevent such dropping of the bottom connection, there is provided a safety guard (which, if desired, could be used as a normal support) formed from an elongated rod or bar comprising a loop I3, one leg I4 of which merges in a coil I5, the upper end of the coil terminating in a downturned hook I6 adapted to engage the upper edge of one of the spring plank channels 2. The upper por-tion of the other leg I 'I of the loop merges with a horizontal section I3 extending first towards leg I4 and then substantially at right angles alongside the under face of the web of the spring plank channel I and terminating at the end remote from the loop in an upturned hook I 9 which engages the corner formed by the channel web and upstanding flange and holds the loop and coil I5 against movement away from the side of the spring plank to which they are applied.

The elasticity of the metal in loop I3 and the coils I5 is such that hook I6 may be applied to the upper edge of one spring plank ilange with the coil and loop inclined downwardly and outwardly as indicated in broken lines in Figure 1 and then the device may be swung to the left to the full line position in which coils I5 will hold arm I8 against the bottom of the spring plank and the distortion of the loop will hold hook I9 tightly against the remote liange 2. Thus the device is securely held in position and will not slide lengthwise of the beam. Its application and holding is effected without requiring a hole or a notch in the spring plank. Loop I3 is substantially closed at its upper end and any load from rod IIJ will be applied directly below hook I8 and along the axis of spring I5. If the load is heavy enough, the spring may yield without unseating element I8 from the bottom of the spring plank. The horizontal extension to the right (Figure 3) from the upper end of leg I1 prevents the device from turning about element I8 in a vertical plane corresponding to that of the loop.

After application of the device to the spring plank, the connecting rod is passed through loop I3 and assembled with the brake levers. Normally, the connecting rod will clear the loop as indicated in Figure 3, but if the rod should drop, it will be held by the loop against falling to the track.

Preferably a support is provided at each side of the spring plank as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. These devices may be duplicates of each other, but in the patent drawings, there is shown an alternative structure at the left-hand side of the spring plank. This structure comprises a loop 2E) corresponding to loop I3 and having a horizontal arm 2l corresponding to arm I8 and similarly terminating in an uptur-ned hook 22 engaging the iov'e" right-hand .breroi 'the spring plank. The coil 23 merging with the other leg of the lo-op is formed in a flat plane and lies close against the spring plank flange 2 and terminates at its upper end in a hook 24 criesp'iid ing to the hook I6 previously described. This device is applied and functions ii 'substantially' the same manner as the device at tle right-hand side of the spring plank.

It will be apparent to thbs skilled iii the art that these devices are easily made by bending a straight rod to the form shown and without machining operationsu'fhe devices are readily finned to the spring plank without @layman-iin;- irg ofthe latter and are readily removed iro'rn the spring planky when it is' desiijljdv to disas's'einbie the` brake g`a for repairs 'orjotlrer `pnposes- It will be understood that'tle'tructuie may be' otherwise 'ifaried in'detail without departing from tli'e'spirit 'of the invention 'and the erclusiv'use or tifoso moaineations coming within the spirit ftrij aims is contemplated.

a't is 'claimed is: 1. A railway bra-ke gearsupirqit adapted to be mounted on a railfway truck part and"compi"i's' ing a vonepiece rod 'forming a. downwardly facing hbk 'at one end arranged toeng'age an iipw'ardly Surface 'on' the trckpart, and an Aupwa'rlly facing member at 'the other'end 'adapted to engage a do'wnxiardly facing surface on the trck 'part and also forming' between itsfenn's a supporting loop fr a bale gear part,- `s d liook, member and loop bein'fg substantially "rigid, t'he 'rod 'also form: ing a spring-like'st'ucture between said ho'ol and Iofp'.

2 Aifailwaybifale gfeai' s'iipporta's 'described in claim 1 i n which the 'member Aior 'engaging a downwafiy fil-eme 'surface on the 'rr'c'k part extends, i

at least in part, transversely of the loop in the general plane of the loop to hold the support against turning in a vertical plane corresponding to that of the loop.

3. A railway brake gear support as described in claim 1 in which the hook and member, arranged to engage, respectively, upwardly and el'wli'wirdiy facifg sur-faces' o'f the truck part, are disposed substantially one above the other and the portion between the hook and member is disposed to engage one side of the truck part, andthe tifck part engaging member has an exltension with an up-turned lip to engage the opposite side' or. the truck part.

'4 4 Abrake gear s 'pport comprising an upright spring, a downwardly facing hook formed at the upper? end oifsai'd spring, a loop depending from said spring to receive a brake gear member, an ai' e'teding horizontally from said loop and spaced below said ho0k, and an upwardly facing hbk :at tlieeiiel of sai-id "afn 'reinot from said 5. In a brake' gear supporta rail-'way spring plank chair'afel with' upstanding flanges, a 'od' formi-fig ayetieally disposed 'spiiigcoiL there being hook at the upper end' 'of said spr-ing engaging the upper edge of a flange at one bide@ said a brake 'geai1 rec" ng loop' 'dependig' ffroi' said spring, and 'a ifd' extending irti' said lobi) l'al'iigsid' the' bottom o said liaihel afi-id terminating in a h'oklengag'ig th'e pzasite slzl 6T the' chai-mel tb'- ditt' the loop' and grip ene channel.

EDWIN Besen;

REFERENCES CIT-'ED The following references are oi 'icrd in' 'tle nre 'or tins patent:

'STATES PATENTS Number. Namel bate 23433;@ Anderson Juiy 14,1936 ,2,9f'lg5'k8 Zweibei l2, ifei 2,167,712 Fine Aug. 1,'1'939 

